Gojira have marked their position on the map of great metal bands with two records: 2005's From Mars to Sirius and 2008's The Way of All Flesh. I consider myself a huge fan of the French commando and these two albums are among my all-time favorites. So you can imagine that my expectations were incredibly high and I expected something absolutely out of this world with Gojira's fifth full-length. And probably this is one of the reasons I found this album to be just…decent.

This album is essentially Gojira in a box, one which is tightly and neatly packaged for your convenience. There is little room for maneuvering yet it has sides strong enough to withstand the onslaught of chugging riff savagery contained within. Where previous albums such as From Mars To Sirius were more sprawling affairs this is by far more concise in sound. It is a precise taming of that ear denting chaos the band has exhibited in previous efforts.

This album is taking a lot of listens for me to get into it. It's a slow process and I'm not warming to it much. I'm prepared to give it more time though. This is the first album of theirs I've listened to, so I didn't have any preconceptions. My initial thoughts are that there isn't much melody and it is quite technical in parts. The one song I really like at the moment is "Pain is a Master".

This album is taking a lot of listens for me to get into it. It's a slow process and I'm not warming to it much. I'm prepared to give it more time though. This is the first album of theirs I've listened to, so I didn't have any preconceptions. My initial thoughts are that there isn't much melody and it is quite technical in parts. The one song I really like at the moment is "Pain is a Master".

Don't waste that much time on this one, go get From Mars To Sirius and you'll be listening to it a lot of times but not to get into it, just because is damn amazing. Oh, and this is album is more melodic than the previous ones and probably less technical, although I don't think this band should be labeled technical at all.

Personally I adore this album. Its got some unusual qualities, and some familiar, but thats just what a prog metal band is. A collaboration of new techniques with elements of other subgenres. Though some songs sounded a bit like meshuggah (which I dislike) what you gotta remember is simply: this is gofuckingjira.

Overall this album made a pretty bad first impression on me, but the songs stuck with me after the album ended, and i realised, its like a legion of angels singing deathmetal. which fucking rules give or take. After they stuck with me and whatnot, I took a gander at the lyric booklet, and good god. The lyrics have always been my favorite part of Gojira, they've always been introspective, intensely deep, perspective based and almost cryptic. This album is no exception, I found myself reading the lyrics booklet in the paint shop waiting for paint to dry haha.

As far as the rhythm value of this album goes, although it may draw some characteristics of other subgenres of metal, this album has its own sound, like every gojira album. And thats what makes Gojira my favorite band, that theyre always new, progressing, and that their albums are pure art. Like I always say, these guys are like nature itself, beautiful and brutal as hell. And you simply can't top music that makes you dive into your own mind while thrashing your head.

I'm glad you mentioned the Meshuggah similarity, because I felt that too. It doesn't appeal to me either, in that regard. I also agree with the strong lyrics here. Ultimately, this album has grown on me and that is the sign of a good album. My initial rating was 6 - average, but I have increased that to 7 - good. Highlights for me are the tracks "Planned Obsolescence" and "Mouth of Kala".

I'm not too much into this kind of metal, but this is just absolutely fantastic!
I can't really explain why, but everything fits perfectly to me instrumentaly.
Make sure to check my key song from that album Liquid Fire.

I think this is too overrated for an 8.4...this is nothing special at all! Really mediocre album...i don't get most of those ideas on the album! Maybe the problem was me...i did very much hype and got super-high expetations before this was released...if i we're to vote, which i will not, it could be 5/6 ...

I have no idea why people like this album, it slides right off me. Even after I've listened to it all the way through four times, I can only remember a few memorable parts that weren't crap.

I'm in the same situation that you are, but for me, i prefer to say that even with the few good moments, i have to say....i hate the album, and i looooove Gojira past stuff, they rule, but this is a face full of shame, fuck! :\

I'm giving this a 6. In a sonic sense, it's not all that bad. I didn't really cringe or anything listening to this. The thing that really bothered me about this album (disclaimer: this is my first exposure to Gojira) was that it seemed like a one trick pony. There was too much chugga chugga chugga then strum the harmonic 10 times on a lot of the songs. Also, it seemed like they had some really epic parts that they just killed. Take "The Gift of Guilt" for example. That song starts out soo good, then they go into that awful riff where the singer comes in and it just kills the build up of that song's intro. Like I said, not an bad album, just could have been a lot better.

Personaly I think The Way of all Flesh is their best album, and so far I'd rather listen to this than Mars to Sirus. Not joking here but my favorite track is The Wild Healer. Seriously, love the major feel and the drums. Next to that tracks 1 and 7. Overall I expected more neck-breakage.

I really love this band, nut IMO it's just more of the same. no creativity, no feeling...

Illog1cal - 28.05.2013 at 15:39

There is a distinguishable difference between this and previous efforts. A much stronger focus on vocal performance and overall feeling rather than including a variation of parts in songs to create impact like they did in 'The Way Of All Flesh', this album is perhaps more akin to 'From Mars To Sirius'. The songs are simpler and it also comes off as their most gentle album, there is little aggression to be found, with less angry riffs and complex guitar + drum attacks which was significant in 'From Mars To Sirius' and 'The Way Of All Flesh'. This album is probably not for everybody, not even some Gojira fans, but for me it was an intriguing journey.

Wow, different times... I think 2012 me put a little too much emphasis on what other people rated things I still think the album is a pile of rubbish, mind you. And From Mars to Sirius as well which I seemed to be jocking back then... guess I have had a falling out with Gojira in general cause I really don't like any of their stuff anymore

guess I have had a falling out with Gojira in general cause I really don't like any of their stuff anymore

I'm kind of the same.

I liked them when I initially heard them and I don't mind them as background music.

But once I tried really listening to them (my so-called Iron Test*), they just didn't cut it for me - albums are too long and repetitive and the sound is too dense for my liking.

*Iron Test - listen to music whilst ironing clothes. For some reason it's where music really clicks with me or not. I think it's cause ironing is mindless so I can focus on the music whilst my hands are occuppied with the ironing.

*Iron Test - listen to music whilst ironing clothes. For some reason it's where music really clicks with me or not. I think it's cause ironing is mindless so I can focus on the music whilst my hands are occuppied with the ironing.

Funny you mention that because a lot of the time I give albums a sort of similar test and listen to albums while washing the dishes. I have a very low attention span and it's difficult for me to even just sit and listen to even my favourite albums start to finish sometimes so occupying myself in a way that doesn't use too much brainpower helps absorb it all in.

To be totally honest if I put Gojira on I would be getting more focused on the dishes than the music...

I think they go lost on the journey back from Sirius. This sounds like a watered down Meshuggah. It even made me laugh during track #4 with that ridiculous robot voice. I would love to hear Stephen Hawking do guest vocals on a metal album though. I got tricked into listening to it by the rating. Once again.

*Iron Test - listen to music whilst ironing clothes. For some reason it's where music really clicks with me or not. I think it's cause ironing is mindless so I can focus on the music whilst my hands are occuppied with the ironing.

Funny you mention that because a lot of the time I give albums a sort of similar test and listen to albums while washing the dishes. I have a very low attention span and it's difficult for me to even just sit and listen to even my favourite albums start to finish sometimes so occupying myself in a way that doesn't use too much brainpower helps absorb it all in.

To be totally honest if I put Gojira on I would be getting more focused on the dishes than the music...

Heh, I also do dishes. Another thing I do is listen to music while sorting my favorite gallery in deviantart.

*Iron Test - listen to music whilst ironing clothes. For some reason it's where music really clicks with me or not. I think it's cause ironing is mindless so I can focus on the music whilst my hands are occuppied with the ironing.

Funny you mention that because a lot of the time I give albums a sort of similar test and listen to albums while washing the dishes. I have a very low attention span and it's difficult for me to even just sit and listen to even my favourite albums start to finish sometimes so occupying myself in a way that doesn't use too much brainpower helps absorb it all in.

To be totally honest if I put Gojira on I would be getting more focused on the dishes than the music...

Heh, I also do dishes. Another thing I do is listen to music while sorting my favorite gallery in deviantart.